William Gary Christian Obituary

William ‘Bill’ Gary Christian passed to his heavenly home on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Bill was born in Nogales, AZ and was raised in Riverside, CA where is graduated with a degree in Music Education. He served in the US Army as a sharpshooter, parachutist and musician and was deployed during the Bay of Pigs mission in Cuba .

Bill found his way to Oakhurst accepting the role as Music Educator for Yosemite High School where he led the school band and choir for several years. During this time he was also the Choir Director for Oakhurst Community Church. His ‘magnum opus’ was a production of Handel’s Messiah held at the Community Church wherein he combined by the high several local choirs, various community musicians and professional soloists.

Bill moved several times during his life teaching, establishing local productions and was able to pursue hobbies of karate, sailing and yachting on Puget Sound and motorcycling throughout Washington, California and Arizona. He put together bands to play gigs for various events, and for awhile was able to live on a cruise ship as a band member cruising the Caribbean Sea. Bill was a very gifted musician with the ability to play many instruments at a professional level.

He taught countless students in private and group lessons everywhere he went and finally in Arizona. Bill is survived by his sister Sally Jolly and a niece, Brandy Mazota of Indiana and his two sons, Gary James Virgil Christian of San Francisco, CA, and William Patrick Christian of Marina Del Rey, CA. Bill will be laid to his final rest in Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst, CA next to his parents Virgil ‘Pat’ and Margaret Christian, who were Oakhurst residents.

The family wishes to extend their appreciation to the Veteran’s Association of Arizona.